Up to one million people could be moved off incapacity benefits and back into work under plans to be unveiled by the Government today.

The five-year welfare reform plan is aimed at ensuring people work if they are able to do so.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said the reforms would deliver a system that "rewards work".

He said there were one million people currently receiving incapacity benefit who would like to return to work. There is also a large number who could work if they were given some help.

The key elements of the reforms to be announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson for new claimants of incapacity benefits are:

Reform of rules which pay claimants more the longer they are on benefit

More support for the most severely sick and disabled and encouragement for claimants who engage in rehabilitation, and

Nobody to be "written off" - everyone expected to "fulfil their responsibilities" to work.

Mr Johnson is expected to announce the changes in a statement to MPs.

He will also face questions from a Commons committee on job cuts at his department.

Mr Blair said the purpose of the announcement was "to say that for people who can work we should give them the help so that they can go out and earn a decent living, and for those who can't - and there will be people who are severely disabled or for one reason or other simply cannot work - we should give them the support that they need."